By joshua 
Uzo Nwogu
Nigeria’s former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has tasked world
leaders to show more commitment to climate financing as the world
seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and arrest the damaging
effect of climate change.
Jonathan, according to a statement on Friday by his Media Adviser,
Ikechukwu Eze, also urged leaders of developed economies to offer
sustained technical and financial support to aid mitigation and
adaptation efforts in developing countries as a means of saving the
earth from rising temperatures due to global warming.
He spoke at the 30th National Conference and Annual General Meeting
of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom
State.
According to Eze, although Dr. Jonathan commended World Leaders for
some of the decisions reached at the just-ended Conference Of The
Parties (COP26) on climate change in Glasgow, Scotland, he urged
leaders of developed countries to endeavor to meet their commitments
in funding climate change control efforts.
Jonathan said: “We are all aware that the highly favoured clean and
renewable energy is an expensive option, especially at inception and
requires huge resources and technology.
“It will only be meaningful and beneficial to developing nations, if
world leaders show more commitment in walking the talk in climate
financing.
“This view was echoed by many leaders of developing nations at the
COP26 Summit, particularly our President who presented a case for
sustained technical and financial support to developing countries to
enhance the attainment of national and global climate change goals.
“For me, this is the way to go and is most desirable for our common
good. The fight against climate change is therefore a cause that
requires a concerted global approach.
“The experience with Covid19 pandemic has shown that the world needs
to always come up with global plans and strategies to address global
problems so that nations can key into these plans to resolve issues
affecting the whole of humanity.
The former President also noted that the “global effect of climate
change including flooding, droughts, accelerated desert encroachment,
and erosion which are increasing in intensity and frequency, is felt
more here in Africa, even though the continent contributes less than 4
percent of greenhouse gases.”
According to him: “The implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement
which aims to substantially reduce greenhouse emissions and strengthen
the ability of parties to adapt to climate change has not been
impressive, especially as the instrument lacks a binding edge.
“There is also the perception of lack of will on the part of developed
and wealthier countries, who are indeed the heavy emitters, to
continue to robustly fund mitigation and adaptation efforts in
developing countries, like ours.
“This fear is sustained by the fact that the pledge made 12 years ago
in Copenhagen by developed nations, to contribute $100 billion
annually towards mitigation and adaptation has never fully
materialised.”
He also challenged the global business community to look beyond the
quest for profit and do more to save Planet Earth.
“There is a lot that big businesses and multinationals companies in
Nigeria and elsewhere can do to check pollution and land degradation
going on in the Niger Delta and in many other parts of the country
where there are mining sites. We should all join hands to reverse the
earth’s present dangerous trajectory.”
“The former President further said: “As an advocate of democracy and
good governance in Africa, I understand that adverse weather
conditions, affecting the lives and livelihood of people, could
trigger heightened social tensions in our societies, thereby putting
democracy and constitutionality in danger. So, the peace of any
society is inextricably linked with the stability of the environment.”
He noted further that as President, his “administration’s considerable
support for the Great Green Wall initiative is a testament of my
passion for environmental and climate issues.”